


may i have this dance

by maybeineedyou



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-15
Updated: 2017-10-15
Packaged: 2019-01-17 12:30:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12365838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maybeineedyou/pseuds/maybeineedyou
Summary: Emma Swan loves to dance. Only a few people in the world are aware of this fact about her and one of these people is Regina Mills. As much as Emma loves to dance is how much Regina prefers not to dance, but the only person who she lets her guards down to and who she will dance with is Emma Swan. They made it a specially activity for the two of them, taking pleasure in the intimacy and beauty of swaying slowly to sad love songs.Warning: this gets VERY angsty very quickly.





	may i have this dance

October, 2015

It is a Saturday night; Henry is away at college as he has been for the past month of his freshman year. Regina is in the kitchen drying plates and as she finishes the dishes from a quiet dinner with Emma when she hears music come on the speakers that they have installed in their living room. A minute later she feels arms circle around her waist and she is being embraced from behind. Emma nuzzles her head into the crook of her wife’s neck and breathes in the scent of the mayor, closing her eyes and smiling at the comfort it brings. She starts to sway their bodies as Regina picks up the last plate that needs to be dried.

“Dear if you keep swaying like that I’m going to drop this plate on the floor and I’m sure your bare feet would not appreciate the feeling of broken glass,” Regina says in a soft voice.

Emma sticks out her bottom lip in a pout, even though she is aware that her wife can’t see her face from the way she is standing with her back pressed to Emma’s front. “Baby, that plate can wait. Come dance with me.” Emma pleads in a joking way that is completely serious at the same time.

“I wish I could but I have some paper work to fill out before the renovation on the town hall begins tomorrow and I would really like to get it done before the construction workers make a mess of my town.” Regina says as she sets down the plate and damp towel and places her hands on the cool counter.

“Come dance with me. We haven’t danced in such a long time and I miss the way we move together to music.” Emma says as she places her hands on Regina’s hips and begins humming in her ear to the music, still swaying with her wife.

“Emma dear, I’d love to but I really cannot tonight” Regina says, turning around to face Emma. She sees the soft sadness in her eyes and her heart aches a little. She loves this woman so much and seeing her even the littlest bit upset, even about something so minimal as dancing, causes her pain. “I’m sorry.”

Emma grabs Regina’s hand. “Regina, may I have this dance?” She says, placing a featherlight kiss on her wife’s hand. At that, Regina can’t help but smiling and feel her heart skip a beat.

“Now, how am I supposed to say no to the most beautiful woman in the world when she asks me like that. It would be my pleasure to dance with you.” Regina says. She knows she’ll be mad at herself tomorrow for being so weak, but there really is no way to say ‘no’ to Emma sometimes. 

The immediate change in Emma’s countenance is almost comical. Her sad eyes and long face are quickly replaced with bright eyes and the widest smile she is capable of as she leads her wife by the hand out of their kitchen and into the living room.

Emma wraps her arms around Regina’s neck, letting her arms rest at the nape of her neck. Regina places her hands around her wife’s waist and lets her hands rest on her Emma’s lower back. Their bodies brush against each other as they move to the music. Their foreheads are pressed together and their noses graze every once and awhile. From time to time, they dust kisses on the other’s lips. As the music plays on, Emma rests her head on Regina’s shoulders. Their dancing has now transformed to more of a hug with a sway to it rather than actual dancing, but that’s just how they like it. If anyone were to happen to walk by their home and glance in, they would know without a doubt that they were looking at two women in love.

August, 2017

It is the middle of the night and a nurse is filling out a patient report at the desk when she hears the sound of music coming from a room down the hall. It has been a slow night and she needs to go for a walk anyway to keep from falling asleep during this dull nightshift so she makes her way to investigate where the music is coming from. All the rooms have their doors shut or have their lights off as patients who are either recovering from surgery or who are facing their final weeks or days on earth sleep. She comes upon Room 108 which happens to house her favorite patient, Emma Swan. Emma is actually pretty much every nurse and doctor’s favorite patient, probably due to her charm, her positive attitude, and the fact that she and her wife are the cutest couple and people can’t help but smile when they see the two of them together. 

The nurse soon realizes the sound of music is coming from this room and glances in. A small floor lamp that Regina brought from home casts a warm, but subtle light across the bed and chair that furnish the hospital room. Tears spring to the nurse’s eyes at the sight set before her: Two women practically embracing as they move back and forth to music playing from a cell phone on the night stand next to the hospital bed. Emma’s frail figure is pretty much skin and bones at this point; the cancer has been winning this battle for the last year since the initial diagnosis. Emma has at most one month to live but through it all she has been able to keep up her happy mood and cheerfulness. 

Sensing, this to be a private moment, the nurse looks at the couple for a second longer and makes her way back down the hall, wiping a few stray tears from her cheeks. Back in Room 108, Emma and Regina are lost in their own world. 

“Regina?” Emma whispers while their bodies sway together. She has to hold on to Regina for support, as it is getting harder for her to keep her strength.

“What is it Emma?” Regina asks in a sad voice. She is trying to keep herself from crying, not knowing how much time she has left with her wife.

“Can we pretend, just for tonight that we are the only two people who exist in the world? And that there is no such thing as cancer. Can please we pretend that tonight?” Emma asks.

Regina swallows and tries to keep the tears away as they threaten to make trails down her cheeks. “That sounds like a great idea. Of course we can pretend that. Let’s pretend that you are healthy. We are at home in our living room and you are yet again distracting me from work by luring me to dance with you. I’m pretending to be mad about it but truly there’s nothing else I’d rather do than dance with you.”

Emma’s lips lighten with a smile. “Yeah and we are going to keep dancing like this for years to come, right? We are going to dance like this on our thirtieth wedding anniversary and on my 60th birthday and on your 80th birthday. Right?” Emma asks, trying so hard to convince herself that maybe, just maybe she is going to be alright.

At this point, Regina cannot fight any longer and a sob escapes her throat but she continues to play along. “Okay. We can pretend that.” Regina holds Emma as tight as she can without hurting her and lets the tears fall onto Emma’s hospital gown. They are silent for a moment, both knowing that the reality they want will never come to be. 

“Regina? Can you promise me something? Can you promise me to keep dancing, even when I’m gone?” Emma asks, as tears now begin to form in her own eyes. It is hurting her more than anything that she is leaving Regina alone. 

“Emma baby, how am I supposed to dance if you’re not here to dance with me? I don’t want to dance unless I have you.” Regina says in between sobs.

“I know, I know, but maybe if you close your eyes and put out your arms you can imagine that I’m there dancing with you. And know in your heart that wherever I am after I’m gone, I will be looking down on you and I will dance with you.” Emma says.

Regina nods and pulls Emma close as the two stop their swaying. They stand in the middle of the hospital room, crying and holding each other until Emma gets too weak and needs to sleep.

October, 2017

Regina strokes her wife’s hair and holds Emma’s frail hand. The heart monitor beeps constantly in the background but they have both gotten so used to it over the past year that they barely hear it anymore. Emma struggles to keep her eyes open as her breathing is slowing and each inhale and exhale becomes more and more labored. 

“Emma, I’m here. It’s okay. You don’t have to keep fighting. You’ve been so strong and I know you are so tired so it’s okay. I will be okay.” Regina say, her vision blurry to the point of blindness as the tears seem to flow with no end. The doctor had informed Regina this morning that her wife had a few hours left to live. The cancer had won and Emma had fought so hard and so strong but there was nothing they could do to stop what was coming.

“Just know that I love you, and I always will. And I cannot wait for the day when I see you again.” Regina says, afraid that soon the crying would take over and her words would no longer be comprehended. 

Emma opens her eyes and a noise like a cough and a groan escapes her mouth. 

“Emma sweetie, I’m here. What is it?” Regina says pleadingly. She wasn’t sure if Emma was going to be able to speak.

“Regina?” Emma manages to whisper after a few attempts. “Will- Will you dance with me?”  
At that, Regina completely loses it and a she begin to shake uncontrollably as the sobbing overtake her. She lays her head on her wife’s chest and lets the tears soak Emma’s hospital gown. The only thing that brings her back to her senses is the feeling of Emma’s hand weakly squeezing Regina’s. She lifts up her head and nods at her wife, looking at her through puffy, red rimmed eyes.

“Of course my love, anything for you.” Regina says as she stands up. She slides her arms under Emma’s body and begins to lift her up. Her wife is so thin it feels like lifting up a child. She cradles Emma in her arms, holding her the way a newly married groom carries a bride though the threshold. Emma lays her hand on her wife’s chest and gathers the strength to open her eyes and smile up at Regina. “I love you” comes out in a whisper that is barely inaudible.

In between sobs, Regina is able to whisper “I love you” back to her dying wife. There they are, in the middle of the room as Regina holds her wife and sways back in forth to imaginary music. Emma is content that her last moment on earth will be spent with the woman she loves doing the thing they loved to do. “Thank you - for dancing with me - all these years.” Emma manages to say as her breathing becomes slower and slower.  
“There is no other way I would have wanted to spend my life, my love.” Regina says in a voice weighed with grief and tears. 

Nurses walking by the room stand at the door and stared in awe at the heart wrenching sight of the two women spending their last moments together. None can deny that this is what love, true love really looks like.

Emma’s last breaths are taken in Regina’s arms who then lays down on the bed, still holding Emma’s body. Her crying is getting out of control and all she can feel is the loss and loneliness overtake her. 

 

Regina goes home that night feeling more and empty and grieved than ever before. She sets her keys on the counter and slowly makes her way to the living room. She turns on her’s and Emma’s favorite playlist and stands alone in the middle of the room. She holds out her arms as if Emma were there with her, imagining the feeling of her wife body against hers. She closes her eyes and begins to slowly sway to the music as tears leave trails down her cheeks. She imagines Emma in a better place where she is now healthy and strong. She imagines Emma’s laugh and her smile and the way her eyes shine so bright when she is happy. She imagines Emma dancing with her just as she had promised. And she imagines the day years from now when she would finally be able to dance with her wife again.


End file.
